Shutter-controlling device.



D. L. BROWN.

SHUTTER CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED N0\ I. I0, 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

INVENTOR DGVld L. Brown ATTORNEYS WITNESSES OMWW COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH COHWASHINQTON, 04 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

DAVID L. BRoWN, on NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoRor-oNn-Tmnn TO EMILE.

BACHARACH, ONE-SIXTH TO MORTON J. VOGEL, AND ONE-SIXTH To EUGENE HIRSCH, ALL OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHUTTER-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed November 10, 1914. Serial No. 871,259.

Shutter-Controlling Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

The invention relates to photographic cameras, and itsfobject is to provide a new and improvedv shutter controlling device, more espec ally deslgned as an auxiliary to the usual manually controlled shutter-actu ating mechanism of the camera, and arrangedto allow the person in charge of the camera to move to position in front of the camera with aview to having the persons picture taken either singlyor in conpmctionwith a group.

In order to accomplish the desired result,

use is made of acylinder containing a fluid, a spring-operated piston. reciprocating 1n the cylinders and having its outer end positioned relative to the usual shutter actuating mechanism to actuate the latter on the return movement of thepiston by the action of the latters sprlng, and valve passages in the said cylinder for controlling the flow of the fluid from one endlof the cylinder to the other end thereof, the saidfvalve passages being arranged so that one controls the time for the piston to engage the shutter actuating. mechanismIand the other controls the 'timefor actuating'the shutter.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings formlng apart of thls specificatlon, in

which similaricharactersof reference indi catecoiresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the shutter'co'ntrolling device, as applied to a photographic camera; Fig. 2 is a similar view ofa modified form of-the same as applied,,parts,being shown in elevation; and Fig. 3 ,isanenlarged cross section of the same on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

, Theshutter controlling device illustrated in Fig. 1, consists essentiallyof a cylinder A attached'by a bracket B to the front plate C of the lens, andon which the shutter actuatin'g lever D is mounted for manually controlling the shutter in the usual manner. l The upper end A of the cylinder-A is permanently closed while the lower end A is closed by a screw head E, which when removed permits of filling the cylinder A with glycerin or other liquid. In the cylinder A reciprocates a piston F having a piston rod F, preferably madehollow and extending through the upper end of the cylinder- A. The outer end of the piston rod F is provided with a knob or a handle F adapted to be taken hold of by the operator for pulling the piston F into uppermost position and against the tension of a spring Ur extending within the hollow piston rod F and secured at its upper end to the upper end of the piston rod, while the lower end of the said.

spring is secured to the head E. By the arrangement described the spring G is placed under tension on moving the piston F upward, and when the operator releases the knob F the spring G moves the piston F downward in the cylinder A. The knob F 2 during its downward movement engages the lever l) of the shutter actuating mechanism to actuate the said lever andconsequently the shutter and to finally release the said lever on the piston F reaching its lowermost position. v r

In order to control'the flow of the liquid from the lower end A to the upper end A during the descent of the piston F within the cylinder-A, use is made of two separate means, of which one controls the time for the knob F to engagethe lever D while the other controls the time for-the knob l to actuate the lever D and release the same for making theexposure in a given time. For this purpose use is made of a passage H formed 1n the wall of the cylinder A and opening at H into the upper end A of the setting the needle valve according to the time to elapse for the operator of the camera to move to a position in front of'the camera. A second passage J is formed in the wall of the cylinder A and its lower end J opens into the lower end A of the cylinder A' While the upper end J of the said passage J opens into the cylinder A intermediate the ends thereof and at a point above the en trance end H of the other passage H. The passage J is controlled by a needle valve K similar to the needle valve 1 and likewise under the control of tl e operator.

In order to compensate for the amount of liquid displaced by the piston rod F during the downward movement of the piston F and piston rod F, a compensating piston L is mounted to slide loosely in the upper end A of the cylinder A, and the downward movement of this piston L is limited by a stop pin L held on the cylinder A and also serving to limit the upward movement of the piston F in the cylinder A. It is understood that when the piston F and piston rod F are moved downward by the action of the spring G then the piston rod F displaces some of the liquid and in doing so the liquid raises the piston L correspondmgly. When the piston F is lifted the reverse action takes place and the piston L returns to lowermost position but the piston is at all times on top of the liquid and hence the cylinder remains filled with the liquid to prevent lost motion of the piston F especially during the downward movement of the latter.

In using the device, the operator in charge of the camera first pulls the knob F upward until the piston F abuts against the stop L. The piston F is preferably formed of a leather cup held between two washers, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the piston fits snugly in the cylinder during the downward movement. When the piston F is pulled up the liquid on the top of the piston readily passes between the inner surface of the cylinder and the yielding flange of the leather cup into the lower portion of the cylinder. By this arrangement the piston F can be easily raised by hand, it being understood that the spring G is placed under tension during the raising of the piston. When the operator releases the knob F the spring G pulls the piston F downward and during the first period in the downward movement of the piston F the liquid flows from the lower end of the cylinder A by way of the restricted passage H into the upper end of the cylinder thus giving the operator time to move from the camera into position in front thereof to have his own picture taken either singly or in conjunction with a group. The knob F 2 finallyengages the lever D and pushes the same downward and at this time the entrance opening H is closed by the descending piston F while the entrance opening J 2 is uncovered to allow the liquid in the lower end A of the cylinder A to pass by way of the restricted passage J into the upper end of the cylinder A. By this arrangement the time for making the exposure can be controlled by correspondingly setting the valve K to retard or accelerate the flow of the liquid through the passage J.

By adjusting the valves I and K the operator can control the time for the movement of the operator from the camera to position for taking the picture and for controlling the time of the exposure.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the interior spring G is dispensed with and an exterior spring G is used, fastened at one end to the head 15 and pressing with its free end on the knob F Otherwise the construction of the cylinder A and the means for regulating the flow through the passages H and J is the same as above described, so that further description of the same is not deemed necessary. In Figs. 2 and 3 is also shown the controlling device as applied to a Bowden spring wire control D for shutters instead of the lever D, it being understood that in this case the cylinder A is attached to the lower portion of the plate G and the knob F is adapted to engage the outer end of the wire D guided in a sleeve D and passing through a flexible tube D to the needle D". The sleeve D is engaged with a clamp N pivoted at N on the top of the cylinder A and pressed on by a spring i 2 so as to hold the rod D in proper position relative to the knob F As shown in Fig. 2, the cylinder A is disposed horizontally to take up very little room immediately below the lens on the plate C.

The operation is the same as above described in reference to Fig. 1, that is, the operator pulls the knob F outward into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, namely, beyond the end of the wire D, and when the knob F is released the spring G forces the piston F gradually from the left to the right to displace the liquid in the cylinder from the end A to the end A.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. An automatic controller for photographic lens shutters, comprising a cylinder containing a fluid, a spring-operated piston reciprocating in the said cylinder and having its piston rod extending to the outside of the said cylinder, the outer end of the piston rod being adapted to actuate the shutter actuating mechanism, a valved passage in the said cylinder and having one end lead ing into the outer end of the cylinder and having its other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the outer and inner ends, and a second valved passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the inner end of the cylinder and the other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the ends and nearer to the outer end than the corresponding end of the other passage.

,2. An automatic controller for photographic lens shutters, comprising a cylinder containing a fluid, a spring-operated piston havin the other end aenin into the c lin- .der at a point intermediate the outer and inner ends, a second valved passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the inner end of the cylinder and the other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the ends and nearer to the o-uterend than the corresponding end of the other passage, and a compensating loose piston slidable in the outer end of the cylinder at a point beyond the entrance end of the first-named passage.

3. An automatic controller for photographic lens shutters, comprising a cylinder containing a fluid, a spring-operated piston reciprocating in the said cylinder and having its piston rod extending to the outside of the said cylinder, the outer end of the piston rod being adapted to actuate the shutter actuating mechanism, a valved passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the outer end of the cylinder and having the other end opening into the cylinder at apoint intermediate the outer and inner ends, a second valved passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the inner end of the cylinder and the other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the ends and nearer to the outer end than the corresponding end of the other passage, a compensating. loose piston slidable in the outer end of the cylinder at a point beyond the entrance end of the first-named passage, and a stop pin Within the said cylinder to limitthe movements of the said pistons.

4. An automatic controller for photographic lens shutters, comprising a cylinder containing a liquid, a piston reciprocating in the said cylinder and having a hollow piston rod extending to the outside of the cylinder, the outer end of the piston rod being provided with a handle adapted to actuate the shutter, actuating mechanism, a spring located within the said cylinder and extending into the said piston rod, one end of the spring being attached to the cylinder and the other end to the said piston rod, a passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the outer end of the cylinder and having its other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the outer and inner ends, a manually controlled valve controlling the said passage, a second passage in the said cylinder and having one end leading into the inner end of the cylinder and the other end opening into the cylinder at a point intermediate the ends and nearer the outer end than the corresponding end of the other passage, and a second manually controlled valve controlling the said second passage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, DAVID L. BROWN.

Witnesses:

TI-IEO. G. HOSTER, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

r 7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

